Best of Metromix Indianapolis 2010Italian restaurant
Let's face it. We're not suuuper close to Italy (or a huge Italian population, for that matter). Oddly enough, we had a tough time narrowing down our top five choices for the best Italian restaurant in town. Is it the ambience that does it for you? The wine? The penne? However you choose to vote is up to you!
And the winner is…
Mama Carolla's Old Italian Restaurant
1031 E. 54th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46220Neighborhood: Broad Ripple
When visiting pro athletes, pop stars or zillionaires want a recommendation for the best Italian food in town, hotel concierges often direct them to this Broad Ripple favorite. The atmosphere is robust and romantic; if Tramp were to take Lady out for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, he'd come to Mama's.
Nominees
Iaria's Italian Restaurant
317 S. College Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46202Neighborhood: Downtown
The unassuming exterior hides the kind of neighborhood Italian eatery that chain restaurants try (and largely fail) to replicate. The marinara at Iaria's is as sweet as the restaurant's story of origin: Pete and Antonia Iaria opened the eatery in 1933, 20 years after moving to the Italian immigrant-dominated neighborhoods just south of Downtown, and the family has served the same recipes ever since.
Mangia!
751 Hanover Place
Carmel, IN 46032In the Carmel City Center, Mangia's hushed, intimate digs are arranged so that you are never in view of more than a few other tables. This is northern Italian cuisine, a favorite around these parts. You have your lasagna, your manicotti, your marsalas and piccatas. On the night we went, the night's pasta special was tender calamari, firm shrimp and luscious little mussels swimming among big bites of fish within the night's pasta special, frutti di mare. Finish with tiramisu if you're in that rut, but mascarpone mousse is the more sensuous indulgence.
DeLullo's Italian Bistro
4105 State Road 32 W
Westfield, IN 46074There's nothing but good food -- sans pretense -- at this Italian restaurant where you bring your own wine and where the iced tea is served from plastic jugs. But don't let the small menu fool you (fewer options allows the DeLullo family more room for perfection), and if you're not recognized when you walk in, you must be a first-timer.
Best of Indianapolis 2010: The winners are in!
Thanks to everyone who voted for our first-ever Best of Indianapolis! The winners are in! Did your favorite restaurants, bars, clubs and retail shops win?
Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees. These choices were hard ones to make, and all of the great places in this city didn't make it any easier on the voters!
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